Improvement in water-wheels



PATENTED NOV. 8. 1870.

No. 109,U99.

l B. J. BARBER.. WATER WHEEL.

italia %iai5 BENJAMIN J. BARBER.,- or yBALs'roN SPA,Y NEW roux.

Letters'Patent No.A 109,099,A dated November 8, 1870.

IMPnov'EMEN-r lnwA'rEn-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred tc'in ,thus Letten Patentfnni' soaking par: o! thelame.

To all 'whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, BnitrAMINv J. BARBER, of Balston Spa, in the county`of Saratoga and in the State of New York, have invented new and useful:operating them, the sha, and a-porton of the lower ordischarge-buckets.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, on line :c a: of iig.

, 1, showing the arrangement of the wheel within the case, thestationary chutes for directing the water-to the buckets of the wheel,the manner of pivoting the gates thereto, the form ot' such gates,andthe means for operating them.

Figure 3 is a yrticai central section of the wheel, showingthearrangement of' the two sets of bucket-s, und the form of the eenterorhubto which they are attached.

Figure 4 is an elevation ofthefrition-rollers, which workin thesegmental slots in the arms, which are :tttached `tothe gates.

Corresponding letters refer to correspomling parts in the severalfigures.

' This invention relates tothat class of water-wheels in which two setsof buckets are used, the first set for receiving and utilizin the secondto'utilize t ie gravity of the same water as it is leaving the wheel;and to this end,

It consists First, in a novel chute for directing the water to the wheeland' Secondly, in a novel'form of buckets for utilizing the gravity ofthe water; and

Thirdly, in a .uoveldevicc for opening the gates which control theadmission of water to the'w'heel and i Lastly, in certain combinationsand arrangements of some of the parts of which the wheel and case arecomposed, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. v

In water-wheels of the class` or type to which this belongs, it isimportant that provision be made for the proper admission of thc waterto the wheel, so that its impactive force may beutillzed to-thehestadvantage in propelling the wheel; and i Secondly, that the arrangementsof its parts be such that the gravity of the water, as it falls `uponthe lower set of buckets, shall have the opportunity the impact ot' thewater, and

oi' doing its full share ot' the work of. driving such wheels; and

Thirdly, it is of the first importance that adequateprovision be madefor 'the discharge of water-from the wheel vat the instant when theforces above alluded to have been thus expended, in order 4that thewheel may be relieved from *the weight as well' Yas the friction of suchwater.

To accomplish the above-recited. results iu a better manner than hasheretofore been done is the object of the present invention; and

To enable those skilled in the art to construct and use my improvedwheel, I' will proceed to 'desume-it, referring to the annexed drawing,which forms Aa part of this specification.

A iu the drawingrefers to the step upon or within which the lower end ofthe shaft. Al of the wheel rotates. It may he of cast'fu'on, and have aplate of steel placed in it for the shaft to rest on; or it may restupon a block of hard wood, or of any other suitable material.

A2 refers to the .':ub or center of the wheel, ,it cousisting of a plateor disk, with a projecting hub upon its upper surface, furthe receptionot' the shalt A1, to which it is lirmly secured. Y

From the lower surface of this disk or plate there projectsa flange, thelength of .which is to h e equal. to the depth of the two vsets ofbuckets which'are attached to it.

The outer diameter of this flange is to be suohthat, when the bucketsare'attached to it, awhcel of the required diameter will be formed, itsupper end being curved outward, as shown in iig. 3, for the purpose of'Agiving a downward direction to the water.

B B refer to the upper set Aor series of buckets, A

which are to be of a form substautiallysuch as is shown in fig. 2,their` outer ends being provided with a sharp curve, for the purpose ofenabling them to receive the impact of' the Water, and afterward allowit to pass between the one upon which it strikes and the one whichprecedes it without itsvolume being broken or' shattered, nud with butvery little fric;

tion.

The upper ends of these buckets 'are rounded upon their =inner edges, tofit the under smface of the center Al, so that the Vtwo may form a guideto the water as it passes from these buckets, and di rect it in anunbroken volume upon the lower set of buckets.

C G refer to the lower series of buckets just ref ferred to, which, likethe upper series, are secured to the center A, their length being suchas to cause them to extendin a spiral form along the surface of' wh'eelpasses, and which, to

l port for such shaft.

Istructionl of these buckets is, that their outer diameter is only abouttwo-thirds as great as that of the upper series, as a consequence ofwhich the compressing of the water, while it is acting upon them, iscaused, and thus'the full force of its gravitatin g action secured,which, as above remarked', is regarded as of vital importance. DIefel'sto a foundation, upon which the step of the wheel rests. It maybe oft-he form shown in the drawing, or ot' any other suitable form.

IE refers to the lower ring or pla-telef the wheel, there being auaperture through its center, the diameter of which is equal to the outerdiameter of the lower series of buckets.

rJ .his plate has a'downwardly-projecting flange, E', ther depth ot'which is equal to, say, one-third, more or less, of the depth of thelower buckets, the outer surfaces of which are secured to it. j

`It will be seen that, as aconsequence of the construction of this ringor plato and the buckets C, which it enc'ircles, a bottom and acircumferential dis-` charge for the water from the lower buckets isprovided, thus insuring its escape from the wheel, both as a'consequenceof i-tsown gravity,l and ci' the centrifugal action ot' the wheel, as -aconsequence of which a considerable per cent-. of advantage is gained,owing to4 the .fact that, n'nder this arrangement, no dead water iscarried by thc wheel.

l refers to a concave-convex plate of met-al, which forms the cap orcover of the wheel, its apex being provided with a boss, through whichthe shaft of the some extent, forms a sup- This plate is boltedto theupper plate of the'wheelcover.`

G refers to the plate just referred to, it consisting of Ya plate orring of metal, having an 'aperture through it equal in diameter to theouter diameter of the wheel, and being of suitable thickness to giveitthe required strengtu.

G refers -to the lower ring or plate of the case, which is, in allrespects, like the one described. These rings aro set at such a distanceapart as to correspond with the depth ofthe upper seriesof buckets ofthcwhe'cl,

they being held in posit-ion by chutes, which are placed betweenscribed. I

.H refers to a ring of metal, which rests upon the upper plate of thecase, and is made to surround the cap F, it being held in position bvbuckets, also se- .thcm, and which are soon to be deeurcd to the plateF, as shown in iig. 1.

I I refer to a sexies of piratedgates, there being as many of themas maybe found necessary'to admit the proper quantity o f water to the wheel.

The interior form of these gates is of the curved form shown iu tig. 2,while their outer surfaces arc supplied with arms 1', in which there isformed a segmeut of a circle, whicas so arranged that, when the gatecommences to open, the leverage upon the gate is the greatest, and itsIncrement the leastin proportion to the spas@ travelcdzby the pin,.which Iworks in said slot, and operatesto more the gate.

When the gatc'has been once started frorn1ts scat, as indicated bydbttbd lines in g. 2, and the greatest amount of resistance has beenovercome, any subsewitnesses. t

they being placed -chutcs the gates are pivoted, so that, when they areopened, more 'or less, the water shall be directed in a solid volume tothe curved portion of the npper'buckets of the wheel, and in being thusdirected shall always'fill the chamber formed between the bucket, thecurved chute', and the wheel, thus causing each bucket -t-o beconstantly -receiving the impact of the. water throughout the entirerevolution of the wheel.

K refers to a vertical shaft, which is placed upon the outside of thecase, and held' in position by brackets attached thereto.

Upon the upper end of this shaft there is placed a wheel or cra-nk forrotating it, and that portion thereof which is between the brackets isymade to receive a chain, L, the ends of which are H, so that, as theshalt K is rotated, the said ringI shall be turned, and thus the gatesopened or closed,

according to the direction in which said shafty is turned. Y

M M refer to a' 'series of pins, which is secured in lthe ring H, asshown in tig. 4, there being one to'each gate.'

, Upon each of these pins, and just -umler the ring, there is placed afriction-roller, M', which is made to revolve upon the pin, its lowersurface-resting upon another roller, which is made to rotate upon thesame' p'in, it being provided with allonge upon its upper end, whichrests upon the upper surface of theslotted arm ofthe gate, its lower andreduced portions entering the curved slot thereof, the whole being forthe purpose of reducingthe friction, `in opening and closing the gates,tothe minimum.

Having'tlius described my invention, y What I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Ptent, is'- x 1. The stationary chutes 12, curved upontheir inner surfaces, substantially as and for thc purpose specified. i2. The combination, in a water-wheel, of two sets of buckets, one, B,being of curved form, and .the other, O, of the spiral form,substantially as und [or the purpose set forth.

3. The curved arm upon the gate, for opening the same with varying ratesof speed,and with'varying amounts of power, snbstantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the curved gates I, the

. --curved stationary chutes I', andthebuckets B, whereby a chamber is-formed, for the'action of the water,

l y impact, upon the buckets Iof the wheel, substanially as' set forth.

The combination and arrangement of the shaft K, the chain L, the ring H,and' the slotted arm I, substantially as and for the purpose setfforth.

6. rlhe arrangement of thc lower series of buckets oi'a water-wheel,andthe lower plate@ thereof, whereby a bottom andacircumferentiaj.discharge of the water from such buckets is obtained,substantially. as

`and for theA purpose set forth.

Intestimony'whereo I have signed my namev to this'specifcation in thepresence of two subscribing BENJAMIN J. BARBER.

Witnesses; i Y' J. I). Bananen?, L. W. BRISTOL. l

attached to the ring i

